THIS RESTAURANT IS CLOSED Charlie Trotter's Restaurant Review

: CHARLIE TROTTER’S EPONYMOUS RESTAURANT IN LINCOLN PARK HAS CLOSED It is hard to believe that Charlie Trotter has maintained his perpetual quest to better himself and his staff for more than two decades, but those who’ve dined here recently know it’s true. His obsession with what he calls "excellence" has not ceased --- nor has the quality of what his kitchen turns out. Menus undergo spontaneous metamorphosis and servers constantly challenge their own mettle striving to go the extra mile. There is little question that Trotter seeks out the best products (from more than 90 purveyors, in fact), whether they hail from Michigan farms or the waters of Tasmania. Therefore, there is justification for the “price of admission” (another Trotter phrase). Dinners consist of dégustations of six or more courses, and all change nightly: the grand menu, the vegetable menu and the ultra-extravagant kitchen table menu. The kitchen table seats four to six for a 12 to 14 course up-close experience, and it’s advisable to reserve months in advance. Examples of dishes (though the kitchen prides itself on "never serving the same dish twice") include a 72-hour braised short rib with tamarind, pickled kohlrabi and crispy lotus root, and grilled Nantucket Bay scallops with candied kumquats, ankimo and thyme-infused duck consommé. The wine list has few equals in the city: a special section lists many bottles for less than $100, and a good selection of wine is available by the glass and half-bottle.